London rejects Chelsea Crossrail station in TfL Consultation

Date: 15 Jan, 2016

Over half of all responses to the TfL consultation for the entire Crossrail 2 route oppose a station in Chelsea.

The TfL consultation on plans for Crossrail 2, including the station on the King’s Road, closed on January 8th.

TfL have revealed that there were 19,000 responses to the consultation in total for the whole route – and today the star-studded No Crossrail in Chelsea campaign have copies of over 7000 returns opposing a station in their village.

Chris Lenon, Chair of the No Crossrail in Chelsea campaign, commented:

“We have been collecting copies of responses, both those made online and those sent in as paper forms. We hold copies of more than 7,250 individual replies opposing the King’s Road station and have been advised of others which bring the total of local voices opposing the King’s Road station to roughly 8,000. In addition there are over 10,000 petition signatures opposing the proposal.”

Page 2 of today’s Evening Standard

There are some further 1,500 responses supporting a Crossrail 2 station at Imperial Wharf in Fulham, instead of the King’s Road. The local MP, Greg Hands, advocates TfL looking instead at a station location at Imperial Wharf. His personal submission questions the logic of the King’s Road location on a number of grounds.

While TfL have stated that the Consultation was not a referendum on their plans, this result is a comprehensive rejection by London of the King’s Road station proposal.

Greg Hands said:

“I firmly believe that Imperial Wharf should continue being seriously considered as an alternative option for a Crossrail 2 station, and I also ask whether it should be the preferred site for a station in Chelsea and Fulham.”

Chris Lenon continued:

“In the face of this overwhelming opposition, we believe TfL and the Mayor are duty bound to scrap the proposal for a station on the King’s Road from their plans for Crossrail 2.”

There are several thousands of responses from residents in the Tooting, Balham and Streatham areas who are unhappy with the current Crossrail 2 plans in other parts of London, including the cancellation of the Tooting station on the grounds that it will cost £500m more than planned.

They cannot understand why the King’s Road station, which costs £1.2bn, has no connectivity with other rail or tube lines and has a poor transport case, should remain under consideration.

The No Crossrail in Chelsea group opposes plans for a Crossrail 2 diversion through Chelsea and wants the route from Victoria to Clapham Junction to be direct. A recent Transport for London report admitted that “overall public transport benefits” would be greater if there was no Chelsea station.

A multitude of local celebrities and businesses support the campaign.

Cherie Lunghi said:

“Chelsea is a fabulous place. We cannot let it be ruined forever by a huge and ghastly railway station. It would be a travesty if we turned the King’s Road into just any other High Street.”